Dushanbe [Tajikistan]: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Tajikistan Prime Minister Qohir Rosulzoda and Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref in Dushanbe on October 20, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting. The engagements underscored India’s continued diplomatic outreach across Central Asia and West Asia.
Follow Defence Watch on LinkedIN
Singh’s meeting with Rosulzoda highlighted longstanding civilisational ties and people-to-people links between India and Tajikistan. The engagement followed his talks with Tajik Defence Minister Colonel General Emomali Sobirzoda, where both sides discussed strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, particularly capacity-building and military training.
The meeting with Iran’s First Vice President added another regional dimension to Singh’s diplomatic engagements. However, the publicly available report does not specify the subjects discussed or announce any defence agreement arising from the interaction.
Singh is in Dushanbe to represent India at the 25th SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting, scheduled for October 19–20. The forum will focus on trade, investment, connectivity, innovation and cultural exchanges, alongside reviewing ongoing cooperation among member states.
The meetings will strengthen India’s high-level engagement with key regional partners, but their strategic significance will depend on follow-up initiatives. The confirmed defence-specific outcome so far is the India–Tajikistan discussion on capacity-building and training; no new procurement deal is announced in the available reporting.
(Defence Watch– India’s Defence News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)